Raise Your Glass For Me
by AGoldenCharm
Summary: <html><head></head>Inspired by Jenna/Harry's birthdays, kaitybear and I got together and wrote a Tike birthday fic. Hope you all enjoy!</html>
1. Part 1

**Author's Note: **In the spirit of our favorite Asians' birthday today, we got together to create a Tike fic of epic proportions. We decided on 28 birthday-inspired vignettes and split them between the two of us. See if you can guess who handled Mike's POV and who handled Tina's POV. ;)

We had a lot of fun writing this and hope you guys enjoy it as well. Hopefully you're all a fan this joint-writing thing; we're planning on doing a joint summer Tike fic as well!

And special thanks to AC for creating the gorgeous graphic for us!

-Love Kaitlyn and Jenny

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1<strong>

"Kurt!" Tina opens the front door to find Kurt standing there in his silver tuxedo; it's the one that he had begged his dad to buy last month for "special occasions", and she and Kurt had both agreed that her birthday should count as a special occasion.

"Hi Tina," Kurt says cheerfully, pulling the little rolling suitcase that he always brings to their tea parties. "Happy birthday. My dad said not to forget to give you this," he shoves a wrapped box out for her.

"Wow! Thanks!"

Kurt lets the suitcase fall to the ground when they enter the den, unzipping it to reveal his usual stuffed animals, and Tina helps him place them around the table. They're all ready to let the tea party begin when Tina's mom walks into the room.

"Hi Kurt," she greets him. She's carrying a big silver platter with lots of little trays on them. Some of them have sandwiches and some have little cakes, and there's even what looks to be a real teapot in the center.

"Mommy what is that?" Tina jumps up, craning her neck to get a better look.  
>"I thought I'd make you guys something you could include in your tea party for your birthday, Tina."<p>

Both Tina and Kurt's eyes are wide with excitement when her mom helps them set up the new food. Once they've managed to fit everything on the small table, Tina's mom winks. "Have fun, you two."

Once her mom leaves, Tina turns to Kurt happily. "This is awesome, right Kurt?"

"Definitely," Kurt nods fervently, eying the cake nearest him. "We're like _grown-ups now_."

"Wow," Tina breathes in awe, "_Really_?"

"_Yeah_. We don't dress up like little kids anymore. You're wearing your party dress," he points to the new dress that Tina's parents had given her for her birthday today, "and I have my tuxedo. And we have _real food_. This isn't a little kid's tea party," he declares proudly.

Tina grins giddily. "I think so, too."

Kurt smiles back at her, pouring them each a cup of tea, spilling a good amount of it on the tablecloth. "Well. Cheers," he raises his teacup.

"What does that mean?" Tina blinks, confused.

"I- I don't know. But my dad used to say it at parties whenever he drank stuff. So it's gotta be a grown-up thing, right?"

"Yeah," she nods rapidly. "Cheers." She lifts the teacup to her lips and takes a sip, just like they would always pretend to do with their plastic cups. Tea tastes weird. Spluttering a little, Tina immediately placed the cup back down on the table.

"Does it taste funny?"

"Yeah. I think I like apple juice better."

"That's okay," Kurt says confidently. "We can eat the cakes. _They're_ grown-up, too."  
>They each take a little cake and proceed to devour it. Tina grins happily when they finish them. "<em>Now<em>we're like grown-ups."

Kurt sighs dramatically, sinking back into his chair. "_Yeah_. Now that you're six just like me, you and I definitely aren't _little kids_anymore."

"Yeah! And thanks for coming to my birthday tea party." Tina's mom had taught her to _always_say thank you whenever she could, so Tina felt that this would be a good time to do so.

"Well, you're my best friend. That's what best friends are for, right?"

"We're best friends?" Tina's never had a best friend before, but she thinks it's probably going to be a lot of work because of all the secret handshakes and promises that they'll have to keep like she's seen on television, but she's also really excited; she didn't even know that they were best friends until now.

**-**  
>His parents are big on the practical gifts. They're really into giving him books, but Mike thinks that might be partially because his big brother actually <em>likes<em>getting books all the time. And it's not like he doesn't, because books are okay, but books and socks and underwear are not exactly the kind of birthday presents Mike really hopes for. Except the rest of his family always gets him awesome stuff; there's a really neat edible chemistry set from his aunt and uncle that makes green slime you can eat, and his brother actually got him a brand new football which is awesome because none of the neighbourhood guys have been able to play since Finn's got destroyed by Mr. Daniel's dog.

That stuff is all really awesome, but the two tickets to STOMP in Columbus in a couple months from his grandparents are _amazing_. STOMP is the coolest thing Mike's see since the old Charlie Chaplin movies his Mom likes to watch. And those were really, really cool. Every time he sees a special about them on TV, or reads something about them, or for those two weeks when he rented a video on them from the public library, his mind is blown. The whole idea of making music out of junk while you dance is just awesome. The choreography is unlike anything else he's ever seen, especially when they're doing the routine with the garbage cans. It's _fantastic_.

Mike's still kind of starry-eyed by the STOMP tickets when his Dad hauls a large brightly-wrapped box out of the hallway closet and puts it down in from of him; it's either a million books, or his parents have suddenly decided to mess with his head. He sort of wants to ask then what's going on, but Mike figures that might not be the most polite response to whatever's got his parents smiling like fools so he begins the task of ripping the paper away.

"_No way_!"  
>"Now you can stop sneaking my CD player out of the kitchen all the time."<p>

His Mom's glare is joking but Mike blushes anyways, it's a stupid habit that's probably because he's Asian or something, but he obviously hadn't been so sneaky about borrowing the CD player from the kitchen to listen to music and dance in his room, or maybe his Mom had found his cd collection and wondered why when it's not like he could play them. But now he can, and Mike totally takes a second to tear his eyes off the box—it looks _beautiful_—to look at Daniel sitting over by his uncle and shoot him a grin; it's so rare he gets something Daniel doesn't already have, what with the 7 year age difference. Because for Daniel's eighth birthday he probably got books and what did Mike get? A sweet CD player so he can dance anytime he wants in his room now, but not like the rest of his family knows that.

"Can I _please_go upstairs and set it up?"

**-**  
>Tina is fairly certain that she hasn't been this excited about <em>anything<em>in a very long time. She has been begging her parents for this trip to the salon for probably three months now, and her mom had finally given in after a particularly brutal argument during dinner one night.

"I'm g-gonna be _thirteen_, Mom! I think I sh-should be able to pick my own hairstyle."

And now she's _here_. She swears she's getting high off the smell of hairspray and chemicals but, as the hairdresser plops her down in her seat, she doesn't even care because her whole body is buzzing with excitement. The entire salon is just... _fascinating_. She can't keep her eyes off the endless array of hair care products lining the walls and the overly zealous models in the pictures that are pasted all around the salon. It's dizzying, but she's _never_ been so excited about _hair_before.

"First time here, sweetheart?" The gum-popping hairdresser asks, running a comb through Tina's hair.

Tina nods shyly, staring at their reflection in the mirror.

"So what can I do for you today?"

"B-blue streaks," Tina stammers, blushing a little because she's almost positive that the hairdresser is judging her for her stutter right now.

"How many?"

"I d-don't know. Three? Like r-right here?" Tina points to the right side of her hair, fingering a couple of strands.

"Can do."

Tina can see her mom wincing through the mirror as the hairdresser begins, and it sort of makes her want to laugh; there's something oddly satisfying about this whole endeavor and her mom's discomfort with it. It's not like she's rebelling or anything; it's just that she was flipping through a magazine at Kurt's house and when she had spotted this style she had fallen in love with it instantly.

The hairdresser is _fast_. She finishes in less than ten minutes and pops her gum one last time. "There ya go, sweetie. How do you like it?"

Tina stares at her reflection, taking in the jet black hair and the new electric blue streaks that are now running down the right side. She opens her mouth slowly. "I love it. C-can I do this at home? Like by m-myself?"

"Sure thing. Drugstores sell those boxes of dye- they've got instructions on 'em and everything. You tryna run us outta business?" She winks.

Tina blushes, but when she figures out that the hairdresser is joking, she leans back in the chair with relief, already planning on forcing her mom to bring her to Walgreen's later that day to check to see if they carry blue dye. Or maybe orange...

**-**  
>It takes a bit of convincing and promising that he'll be home by six for dinner with the rest of his family, but Mike's beyond stoked when his Dad lets him out of the van at the mall's main entrance with nothing more than a warning to behave.<p>

"I will, Dad. I swear. Matt and I don't do trouble."  
>"Sure, Mikey. Try and remember that next time you guys decide to throw a football through the Berry's window, okay?"<br>"That was _totally_ Puck's fault! Finn was the one who didn't catch it!"  
>"I know, I know. I've heard. Just... don't make me ground you on your birthday, okay?"<br>"Not a problem," Mike grins, finally slamming the door shut.  
>"Have fun, birthday boy!"<p>

Matt's waiting for him in front of the arcade, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and while the mall's pretty busy, considering it's a Saturday's afternoon, Mike makes a beeline for his best friend. Matt meets him part of the way, finger already pointing to their game of choice.

"Dude, grab it and I'll go get quarters."  
>"You grab it," Mike grins, pulling a crumpled twenty from his pocket, "Dad gave me cash."<br>"A twenty? _Shit_. Lucky thirteen."

The arcade is packed- there's not much else to do in Lima for kids their age especially in the winter—but Mike knows by now to skip the booth where the college kid works and just use the change machine instead, filling a plastic cup with the slew of quarters that spit out at him. Matt's a lot bulkier than Mike is, so none of the older kids are giving him a problem as Mike makes his way back over; it used to suck a couple years ago when they'd get pushed around by the high school jocks.

They don't talk a lot— it's kind of a nice part about their friendship- but Mike figures even if they did, the moments when he fills the machine with quarters would still be silent because this is their game and there's a certain zone they have to get in to play it. Most of the other kinds in Lima don't get that, they think they can just show up and show off like it's easy, but Mike is proud he and Matt do this thing the right way.

"Man, our score!"  
>"What the <em>hell<em>?"

They've held the high score on all three DDR machines in the arcade for four solid months, and the sight of their names- 'M&M'- blinking back at them from second place is like a punch to the gut because they busted their butts to make sure they were the best; it wasn't everyday a couple kids from Lima East Middle School had fended off all challengers, including a couple of freshmen from McKinley.

"Who the hell is KHTC?"  
>"Not a clue," Matt mumbles, leaning back against the rail, "But this is like, an insult to our honour."<br>"We got twenty bucks; think we can do it?"  
>"Easy. We could probably raise it a couple thousand more points too."<br>"Done," Mike nods, hitting the start button, "Then McDonalds?"  
>"I thought you were having dinner with your family?"<br>"Yeah, but it's not like a couple burgers are gonna make a difference."  
>"True."<p>

**-**  
>"<em>No<em>. No, absolutely n-not," Tina shakes her head firmly. "What _is_ that? It's like _hot p-pink_."

"This," Kurt dangles the hanger in her face, "is all over every runway in _America_, for your information. Just try it on, okay? And these, too," he grins, shoving a pair of skinny jeans at her face.

There's something inherently frightening about letting Kurt and Mercedes run free in the Columbus mall, but it's infinitely scarier when she has suddenly become their mission. Grumbling, Tina snatches them both from Kurt's hands and shuffles her way into the fitting room, trying to ignore the triumphant expression on his face. The fabric is soft, she'll give him that much, but it's also tight and neon and just _not_her. She steps out of her heavy black dress and begrudgingly pulls on the top, staring at the slight ruffle across the bust with distaste. The jeans are just as bad- she can already feel them suffocating her butt.

"Let us see!" Mercedes calls out.

"I don't even _need_to see it. I already know it's going to look amazing," she can hear Kurt say.

Rolling her eyes, she reluctantly swings open the door and steps out, waiting expectantly, but neither of them says anything. In fact, it gets awkwardly silent to the point where she's wildly inspecting the outfit, half-expecting to see her left boob hanging out or something.  
>"W-what?"<p>

"_Damn_, girl, you are so hot," Mercedes proclaims, pretending to fan herself. "You should let us shop for you _everyday_."

"I'm pretty sure that if th-that happened, both of you would d-die of happiness."

"She's right," Kurt grins. "But _seriously_, Tina. You should dress like this more often because you look _incredible_."

Tina returns to the fitting room to change back into her dress. "G-guys, as much as I appreciate this, it's just not _me_. I _like_ m-my style. Besides... Th-this is _really_expensive."

"Just do us this _one_ favor, okay?" Mercedes' voice calls out over the fitting room door. "Kurt and I will pay for it and it'll be our birthday present to you- don't even _worry_ about the price. But you _have_to wear it when we go out for dinner tonight at Breadstix."

Tina groans, folding the clothes up neatly in her arms before heading back out. "You t-two are impossible."

"Yeah, but you love us," Mercedes shrugs, snatching the merchandise from her and before Tina even has the chance to complain, she and Kurt are already making their way to the checkout line.

Tina looks on while Mercedes and Kurt pull out their wallets- Kurt slaps down his card but Mercedes shoves it away from the cashier and puts down a wad of cash. Kurt proceeds to shove her shoulder, rolling his eyes and Tina recoils in surprise as Mercedes smacks Kurt upside the head. His mouth drops open as his hands fly protectively toward his hair and Mercedes grins triumphantly as she hands over the cash to a very bewildered looking cashier.

It takes her a moment to realize that she practically can't breathe with how hard she's laughing. _God_, she really does love them. No matter how insane they may or may not be, they're her wonderful, insane, albeit fashion-obsessed, friends and she can't get over how lucky she is to have them.

**-**  
>It's too cold to play football outside so they settle for the video-game version, Mike fiddling with the Playstation as Puck and Finn fight in the background for room on the couch. There's a couple bowls of chips on the coffee table and open pop cans already littering the living room; Matt's sitting on the floor and takes a controller from Mike's outstretched hand quietly. He's been friends with Finn and Puck forever, but Matt's kind of new; they have homeroom together at Lima East Middle and while Mike's not going to say they're good friends or anything yet, he's a cool guy and that goes a long ways in Mike's books.<p>

"Puck and me against you guys?"

Finn says it like a question, but it's really not; it never is because ever since Mike can remember it's been Finn and Puck against Mike and whoever else. It used to bug him a long time ago, but it's not like protesting will change it and really it's just a video game. Mike nods from his spot on the floor beside Matt, tuning out Puck and Finn as they argue again over what team they want to be even though they always end up as the Saints.

"What team?" he asks, glancing at Matt.  
>"Um... dude, it's your birthday, right? Shouldn't you get to pick who you play with? Or like, shouldn't they want to be on your team?"<p>

Matt mumbles the last couple words and it's then that Mike realizes he must be staring because that's probably the most he's ever heard Matt say at one time; it's not a bad thing but it's a lot all of a sudden. And honestly, it's kind of nice, the way someone he's only known since September is sticking up for him like this.

"Um," Mike tries to recover, "I guess, but this is how it always is, you know?"  
>"As long as you're cool with it."<br>"Yeah. Besides, it's more fun when they loose this way."

Matt laughs and they sort of bump shoulders awkwardly; it's not like they're girls and going to giggle or whatever, but this kind of feels like one of those bro moments Puck is always talking about. And the best part is that Mike's not sharing it with Puck or Finn, because they're obviously each other's best friend, but Matt's totally here because Mike invited him.

"You can pick the team since it's your birthday."  
>"You sure?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"Thanks."<p>

Puck and Finn have settled on the Saints, no surprise there, but Mike flips through the screens until he comes across the green and blue and white he's got a soft spot for, locking in the team as Finn chuckles and Puck throws a pillow at his head.

"The Seahawks _suck_, Chang."  
>"'Cause the Saints are real winners, Puckerman?" Matt shoots over Mike's shoulder.<br>"Whatever," Mike shrugs, "Can we just play?"  
>"We're not going easy on you since it's your birthday."<br>"Bring it."

**-**  
>Being in middle school is tough sometimes, especially when people first start to realize that the black dresses and skull earrings aren't what everyone likes to call normal. Tina hasn't really made a ton of friends so far, and she doesn't mind all that much to be perfectly honest, but when her mom mentions that she should throw a birthday party, she can feel her heart sinking fast.<p>

Eventually, however, she manages to convince her mom to let her, Kurt, and Mercedes go to the movies to see the new chick flick that was supposed to be half-decent as a replacement idea. Her mom had thrown her hands in the air in defeat, but she did end up driving the three of them down to the theater without another complaint.

When they reach the front of the theater, they file out of the car, thanking her mom before walking toward the front door.

"Wait."

Tina skids to a stop, turning to find Kurt and Mercedes looking giddy. Which is _never_a good sign with these two.

"W-what?" She asks suspiciously.

"_Presents_!" Mercedes squeals, handing her a red gift bag.

Tina blushes. "_Guys_. You d-didn't have to get me anything."

"Oh, but we did," Kurt counters, "Open Mercedes' first."

Tina gingerly opens the bag, pulling aside the tissue paper to reveal an _incredible_ pair of black gloves. "'_Cedes_! Th-these are _amazing_!" She stuffs them back into the bag so she can properly give her friend a huge bear hug.

"Now mine, now mine!" Tina's fairly certain that Kurt's more excited about the box in his hands than she is but she laughs, accepting it as Kurt pushes it in her direction.  
>"W-whoa, it's heavy." It doesn't seem all that proportionate in terms of size and weight, but that does spark her interest a little. She tears apart the wrapping paper and opens up the box, gasping as she pulls out what's inside.<p>

"It's the latest Britney Spears perfume," Kurt says excitedly. "She just released it two weeks ago! Since we all _idolize_her, I figured it would be the best one for you."

Tina's never received perfume from anyone before. Well, that's not entirely true. Her mom had bought her a cheap one from Walmart a year ago because she had been curious about what perfumes were like. But a _boy_ has never bought her perfume before. Tina's always sort of pictured it in her mind that a girl would only receive perfume from her boyfriend, but honestly she doesn't _need_ a boyfriend and she doesn't _want_ a boyfriend, so it's much more fitting that it's Kurt who's handing her the perfume instead. She loves him to pieces, and it means the world to her that he took it upon himself to find the perfect scent for her. She's always figured giving perfume as a gift was something really, _really_special, and she can tell from Kurt's huge smile that he thinks so, too.

"K-kurt- thank you so much," Tina carefully places the perfume back into its box and sets it on the bench before enveloping him in a hug.

"You better rock that scent, girl," Kurt grins, rubbing her shoulder affectionately, "Don't put it to a waste."

Tina beams at her two friends, who are both smiling like total goofs back at her. "N-never."

**-**  
>Kurt, Mercedes, and Artie are sitting in her kitchen, grazing on the snacks that her Mom had put out when Tina's startled by the sound of the doorbell. Because even though her mom had sent out <em>eighty<em> invitations out for today's party (_who_ she managed to invite is completely _beyond_ her, considering the fact that she's probably not friends with the majority of them), anyone she's expecting to show up is already _in_her house.

Tina's a logical person. She doesn't get confused all that often because she can usually reason through pretty much anything. But when she opens the front door and sees two boys- Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford- standing outside and looking extremely out of place, she honestly can't find a logical explanation as to why they're standing on her porch.  
>They're <em>football<em>players. And even though they're in the Glee Club now, it still doesn't change the fact that the rest of the Glee Club isn't here. Rachel has a Community Theater production to perform at right now, which is different, but Quinn, Finn, Puck, Brittany, and Santana? Forget it.

"Happy birthday, Tina."

Tina stares. Mike is holding out a poorly wrapped present and Matt is holding out a thin envelope with a messy scrawl over the seal. Something in her mind is urging her to thank them, but she can't bring herself to do it.

"What are you two doing here?" she ends up blurting instead, which sounds really ungrateful and stupid, but _seriously_.

Mike and Matt share a look before laughing awkwardly. "It's your birthday, isn't it?" Matt grins.

"Y-yeah."

She leads them into the house, only to be greeted by her baffled friends. "Umm, we were just about to play Mario Kart," Artie says awkwardly.

"Sounds great," Matt says cheerfully.

They settle into the den; Artie takes up the open space next to the couch, Kurt and Mercedes share the squashy couch, Matt's in the armchair, and Tina and Mike end up without seats, settling on the floor instead. As Artie yells dibs for the first game, Kurt, Mercedes, and Matt scramble for the remainder of the controllers.

Tina casts a sideways glance toward Mike, who's watching the race intently.

"I don't buy it."

He turns to look at her, his face etched with surprise. "You don't buy what?"

"I don't buy it," Tina repeats, "I don't believe that the two of you would just come to _my_birthday party on your own free will."

Mike blushes. Like actually _blushes_. "Don't be mad, okay?"  
>"Don't give me a reason to be mad."<p>

"My mom told me to come. I told Matt to come with me."

_That_she can believe. In fact, she's not offended at all. She shrugs, "I'm not mad. That's infinitely more believable."

He laughs. His laugh is hearty and steady, and she realizes that even though he's been in countless glee club rehearsals before, she's never heard him _really_laugh before. "She was right to make me come. It's your birthday."

Tina turns back to the race, where Artie is currently whooping his competition's asses, but a tiny smile forms on her lips. Maybe they're football guys, maybe they aren't _really_ friends, but damn _right_it's her birthday and if Mike and Matt are here to celebrate it, she doesn't have a single complaint to spare.

**- **  
>Mike had been a little unsure about having his birthday fall on a day with Glee rehearsal even though it wasn't like he had a lot of control over it. He just kept imagining Puck and Finn thinking it would be brilliant to pull some immature prank on him, or Rachel would insist on singing an awkward, out of place show tune, and Mr. Schue would use it as an excuse to give another one of his inspirational life lesson speeches. The reality hadn't been all that bad; Mr. Schue <em>had<em>given them an inspirational speech but Rachel had baked cookies so Mike mostly just focused on eating and not on whatever message he was supposed to be getting. Besides, they had spent the entire day on choreography, which was a Glee club first, so that was all kinds of awesome, and Kurt had even offered to do the one-on-two teaching with Finn and Sam instead of leaving it for Mike. Mike thinks that's going to end up being one of the best birthday presents he gets today.

"We have a bit before your parents are expecting us for dinner, right?"  
>"Yeah," he nods at Tina as they step down from their back-row seats, "Why?"<br>"I was thinking we could practice some more?"

Mike's not entirely sure why Tina's suggesting they continue his piano lesson now, but she's always full of little surprises and ideas like this and he's never once been disappointed with blindly trusting her; it is trust and not just being whipped like Puck always says. Besides, they really do have plenty of time to kill before they're expected for dinner and he does really need a lot more practice before he'll ever be even half decent at the piano. Mike drops his bag beside the bench as Tina closes the choir room door and seats herself beside him; pulling and tugging and tucking the layers of skirt she has on.

"So, I thought I'd play you something, and then you could try? But don't worry about the singing."  
>"Sure" he laughs, focusing his attention down to her fingers resting on the keys.<p>

Even if Mike never does learn to play the piano, he figures it will all be worth it anyways just for the pleasure of listening to Tina. He loves listening to her play, but when she plays and sings it's just amazing because his girl is so damn talented and Mike honestly just feels lucky; it wasn't all that long ago she wouldn't perform at all for just him. Even though she still colours pink, there's something about knowing she's comfortable enough with him to perform that makes it all the more special.

He recognizes the tune Tina begins to play instantly—her fingers are glossing over the keys with a smooth effortlessness Mike doesn't think he'll ever possess—but the rhythm is much slower, as is the pitch of Tina's voice; it's throaty and sultry and Mike can't help but drag his eyes up to her face. She's beautiful when she sings, no doubt about it, but the way she's singing with fluttering lashes and the slightest sway of her hips on the bench has Mike digging his fingers into his thighs. He wonders if this is how President Kennedy felt when Marilyn Monroe sang to him back in the day.

The last note barely leaves Tina's red lips before Mike's turned and hauled her petite body against him, hands cupping her cheeks tightly as he peppers every inch of skin he can get to with kisses as Tina shuffles until she's sort of, almost half-sitting on his lap; they're a tangle of limbs and hair and skirt, but never has Mike been so turned on by _happy birthday_in his life.

**-**  
>Mike doesn't know if he's ever been this nervous about giving someone a birthday present in his life. And somewhere, in a far back ignored corner of his brain, Mike knows that it's not like he's giving the package in his hand to <em>Pope<em>; Tina's his girlfriend, and even if Mike does pretty much worship her, his soul isn't going to end up eternally damned if he hasn't picked out the perfect thing. But he still wants to have picked out the perfect thing _because_it's Tina. And yeah, this isn't the first birthday present he's bought her but it's the first time he's bought her a present as her boyfriend and that means something to him.

"I… I hope you like it."

They're sitting cross-legged on the carpet in her basement living room, television on mute in the background because there's not much worth watching on Monday nights. Besides, Mike knew he couldn't hold off on giving Tina her birthday present forever, and after dinner and cake with her parents and then watching her open the present from them—an amazing new set of acrylic pants that she had gushed over for nearly twenty minutes—he had to man up and just give it to her.

"You already took me for fro yo after school today, Mike. I really didn't need anything else."  
>"But I wanted to. It's your <em>birthday<em>."

Tina's the most genuine person Mike's ever met and the way she smiles at him as she tugs at the ribbon, soft and warm and intimately caring, is exactly why he's been so hung up on getting this present thing right. She deserves to be spoiled, spoiled with _everything_she wants, because she spends the other 364 days of the year being the most amazing friend, and girlfriend, to everyone else. Honestly, the least Mike can do is get her birthday present right.

"It's sort of random," he chuckles as she pulls out a bottle of black nail polish, "I... I couldn't pick just one thing for you."

That's sort of an understatement, but Mike knows that more isn't necessarily better. Big and grand isn't Tina's style, and he's actually got his fingers crossed as she nibbles her bottom lip as she picks apart his present. The nail polish and perfume were no-brainers; they're things that are implicitly Tina and Mike knows she goes through a lot of both. The black tights had caught his eye while he passed Hot Topic in the mall; it's not Tina's type of store and stars are really Rachel's thing, but Tina's a star as far as Mike's concerned so he had gotten them too. The skull barrette is technically from his little sister who adores Tina, but the envelope at the bottom is all Mike's idea.

"More? _ Mike_…"  
>"Just open it," he nods, watching her pull out the slip of paper and study the two tickets he's clipped to it.<br>"_Rocky Horror_?"  
>"A theatre in Columbus does a midnight show a couple times a year. Your Dad said you couldn't go unless Kurt and Mercedes came too, to chaperone us, but there's one at the end of the month and I thought we could all dress up and-"<br>From the way Tina knocks him flat on his back, Mike figures he might be prone to worrying too much.

**-**  
>"Happy birthday, Mike." Mike's mom kisses his forehead, which Tina can't help but chuckle at- <em>such<em> a momma's boy. Mike's dad nods as if it's something to agree on.  
>"We're going to and pick up the cake. You two be good," Mrs. Chang narrows her eyes, as if totally expecting them to start having sex the moment they leave the room.<p>

They're actually not all that far off, to be perfectly fair. As Tina hears the sound of the ignition starting up, a clear sign that Mike's parents have left, she finally hands over the package that she's been holding onto since she arrived at her boyfriend's door. She saw him eying it earlier, but she didn't mention it, feigning innocence the entire time.

"What is it?" Mike asks, his voice betraying excitement as he tears apart the wrapping paper, even though they both know perfectly well that she's not going to _tell_him what's inside.

But _god_. His face when he finally pulls aside the top of the box? Completely and utterly _priceless_. She can see his Adam's apple bobbing just like it always does when he gets nervous or flushed, and his cheeks are slowly but surely turning red. With a mischievous grin, she whispers slowly, "_Well_?"  
>Mike's opening and closing his mouth like a confused goldfish, but it's endearingly adorable. He dips one finger into the box and scoops out a lacy red bra and matching thong, his eyes growing wide. "<em>T-tee<em>..."

"There's more..."

He shifts around the tissue paper and his eyes are seriously bugging out of their sockets at this point. He pulls the whip out first, which she finds amusing, and it unravels when he gets it out of the box. Mike loops it over his arm before reaching back into the box for the next item- a pair of handcuffs.

"Well?"

"I- I... I um..."

Okay, so she hadn't expected him to go _completely_speechless, so she's going to have to improvise a little. Tina coaxes the handcuffs out of his grip, placing light, feathery kisses on his lips before wrapping his arms behind his back and putting the handcuffs to good use; he's trapped in the chair in a matter of seconds.

"T-Tina?"

She retrieves the whip from where it has fallen into his lap, fingering the handle for a moment before cracking it on the kitchen floor, pleased to see Mike's eyes grow wider. She slides into the spot between his legs, leaning in as close as she can manage to his ear, tickling it with her breath. "How long d'ya think until your parents get home?"

"H-" his voice cracks a little. Clearing his throat, he licks his lips. "Half an hour?"

She grins, reaching for his belt buckle and tossing the belt away when she manages to remove it. She can already feel the bulge pushing up against his pants when her fingers glide across the fabric. There's something incredibly alluring about the fact that he's straining against the handcuffs, as though he's itching to touch her but _can't_. She straddles his lap, grinding against him while tracing her tongue along the hollows of his neck. "That's _plenty_ of time for what I have in store for you, birthday boy."


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

**-**  
>Tina's been to Mike's house so many times she could walk there with her eyes closed, but never has she had to maneuver her way through his backyard and there's something infinitely worse about trekking here in the cold. Ohio weather in January is not kind, and tonight's biting wind is no different. She's wearing her coat over her pajamas, but air is still seeping through her pajama pants. There are bushes all over the place and she nearly stubs her toe against the brick that lines the Changs' patio. But she can easily locate his window since she's checked and double-checked that the one on the far right is Mike's because it would have been <em>mortifying<em> if it ended up being his parents' window or something.

She's got rocks. Well, they're more like pebbles because she picked them up from her backyard, in fear that Mike's wouldn't have anything that could be used as a satisfactory projectile. Tina rubs one of the pebbles between her fingers before winding up her arm and aiming it toward his window. _Bulls-eye_. For someone who hates sports, she's got pretty damn good hand-eye coordination if she does say so herself.

Mike's a light sleeper, she knows this for a fact, so it doesn't surprise her when he's yanking the window open, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he looks down.

His eyes grow wide when he spots her. "_Tina_? What are you doing here? It's like three in the morning! Aren't you cold?"

She laughs. "No it's not. It's like... ten after twelve or something. And I'm fine. Come down?"

He clearly doesn't need to be asked twice because he's already shutting his window and disappearing out of sight. She pads her way to his driveway to meet him halfway. Mike shows up by her side less than two minutes later, his feet in a pair of ridiculous looking fuzzy slippers that makes her giggle and his white t-shirt wrinkled. He has in his arms what looks like all the sheets and comforters from his bed.

"Hi," she says breathlessly, pressing her lips to his briefly before pulling back. "Here."

He blinks, probably still not totally awake yet, but accepts the package that she's shoved in his direction, but not before piling the blankets on her. "Tee, could this really not wait until tomorrow morning? You're gonna _freeze _ to death."

"No," she retorts flatly. "Besides," she smiles shyly, tracing her finger down to the waistband of his pajama pants, relishing the sound of his sharp inhale, "I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday."

The slow, sleepy smile that forms across his lips _seriously_ makes her heart take off. "Thanks, Tina." He hooks his arms around her waist and she slings hers over his shoulders even though one of his hands is still clutching onto the present. She hugs him _tight_ before whispering in his ear.

"Happy birthday. How does it feel to be an adult?"

"Mmm, pretty much the same as being seventeen. Except..." A slow, devilish grin creeps up on his face, "We're going to be pretty much illegal for the next six months."

"What? What's going to be illegal?"

He arches an eyebrow, his lips curling into an amused smile before she realizes what he's talking about and blushes furiously. "_Mike_!"

**-**  
>Mike's back is pressed up against the couch in Tina's living room, hands resting on the layers of black and purple dress that have bunched up around his girlfriend's thighs as she sits against him; not only is it comfortable, but it also lets him act as an extra pair of helping hands. The rest of Glee is squished into the living room as well— Artie over near the fireplace and Quinn and Puck sitting so closer they're basically touching but not, Rachel's sitting primly on Finn's lap and Santana and Brit aren't even bothering to act proper; Mike's pretty sure Tina's Dad is a bit freaked out by them but he's an old-fashioned kind of guy so it's no big surprise. It's not exactly a rowdy 18th birthday party, but Tina seems to be basking in the attention the day's providing her and Mike's kind of basking in it too. He likes seeing her happy and giggling and really enjoying being the centre of attention.<p>

The only thing that might be typically '18th' about this party is the bottle that's in the middle of the floor, taking up the space where Mike and Sam moved the coffee table from earlier. It had actually been Quinn's idea to use the bottle to determine what order Tina opened presents in, thankfully saving Mercedes and Kurt from doing bodily harm to each other attempting to each give Tina theirs first, one sitting on either side of her and by default, him.

Mike's in charge of keeping track of everything; yeah, it might be a bit nerdy, but he knows Tina's big on writing cards so she'll no doubt want to write everyone a thank-you card even though they all see each other just about every day. It's one of those little things that solidifies Mike's belief Tina is the most thoughtful person he's ever known.

"You can't give yourself a present, can you?"  
>"No, Brit," Tina laughs and Mike flexes his toes because he's getting kind of stiff sitting in one position for so long, "'Rach, you wanna spin again?"<br>"But what about Mike?"  
>"Unless you two Asians don't want us to see what sort of kinky stuff you're into."<p>

Mike blushes because Santana, well, she's Santana. But it's sort a testament to how much Tina's come out of her shell since they first met because there's not even the slightest trace of pink on her cheeks or stutter in her voice, throwing a wink across the room.

"If you ask nicely maybe I'll share some secrets with you."  
>"Woooooah!"<p>

Santana has the good grace to look impressed with Tina as Mike reaches behind to grab the small box off the couch, bringing it around to hover in front of his girlfriend. He hadn't even bothered to wrap it, just tied a cool purple ribbon around it and added a bow, and it's kind of weird being able to see what Tina's seeing as she slips the lid off, instead of actually seeing _her_.

"Oh my god… _Mike_!"

She's shrieking one second and kissing him the next, and Mike doesn't really even get a chance to kiss her back before she's being dragged off his lap by Mercedes while Rachel and Quinn and the rest of the girls are crowding around her. He's kind of stuck in the crowd until finally he manages to extract his legs and get onto the couch with Kurt who's surprisingly not in the mêlée; the others are obliviously examining the newest version of Civilization Artie had gotten Tina.

"You did well," Kurt nods, gazing at him seriously.  
>"Uh, thanks?"<br>"Do you know why I bought Tina clothing instead of jewellery? Why I have _never_ bought Tina jewellery?"  
>"Because it's a cool skirt?"<br>"Mike," Kurt sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I know you don't understand fashion, but I got her an _Alexander McQueen_ skirt; he is the holy father to Vivian Westwood's holy mother of fashion to Tina."  
>"Okay..."<br>"The point is those black pearl earrings? They're _perfect_. They're _Tina_. They're classy and traditional with a touch of gothic romance. You succeeded where I have failed."  
>"That sounds like a Star Wars quote…"<br>"Boys…"

Mike sort of wants to ask Kurt who Vivian Westwood is, but Tina's grinning at him from the middle of the girls and he decides it probably doesn't really matter.

**-**  
>Mike, what are you doing?"<br>"Surprising the birthday girl!"

He can feel the shuddering giggles leave her mouth, his hands pressed tightly over Tina's eyes as they slowly shuffle from the door of their tiny apartment towards the kitchen. It's not really that far, he mostly has to manoeuvre both of them around the coffee table stacked his with books and scraps of fabric and old newspapers. Mike hasn't even let Tina get her jacket off, how could she when he basically accosted her at the front door, but it's her birthday and the first one they've spent living together and Mike's been planning tonight for weeks.

"Mike Chang, _what_ is going on? You know you didn't have to do anything for my birthday, right?"  
>"Count to thirty and then you can open your eyes, okay?"<p>

Tina's hair sways in its ponytail as she nods and Mike almost trips over himself as he grabs the lighter lying on the table, holding it to the single candle until it comes to life. He feels almost sick with anticipation because all he wants is to give Tina everything, especially on her birthday, but this year is different. They're in college now, and poorer than he ever thought possible, and he's had to get creative and sort of unique for tonight; that's no problem in dance, but Mike's honestly terrified Tina's going to be disappointed because no matter how often she's said they don't need to do anything for her birthday, he wants her to know he cares.

"What- _Mike_."

The flickering candle lights Tina's face in a way that makes her look far less tired than Mike knows she is, but it also illuminates the tears that pool in the corner of her eyes as she bites her bottom lip and throws her arms around him; Mike's not exactly prepared and they stumble back a few steps before he presses his lips against hers tightly. It's the best reaction he could have wished for, groaning as Tina suddenly jumps to hook her legs around his waist and Mike's hands automatically grasp her thighs; it's not that uncommon of a position for them.

"Happy Birthday."  
>"It's perfect- <em>you're<em> perfect."

Somehow he doesn't think she's being completely honest—the cake is sort of lopsided and the icing is pretty rough, and Mike's never had the neatest printing on paper let alone on a cake—but he appreciates that Tina appreciates it all the same, especially since he _did_ do the red velvet instead of chickening out and just baking chocolate instead.

"Can we eat it now?"  
>"You don't want your present first?" he teases.<br>"Present? Isn't _this_ my present?"  
>"No," he pauses and Mike's quite aware there's a faint red blush on his cheeks, "Well, sort of but no. I mean, I didn't buy you anything- I'm sorry- but I <em>did<em> fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom I know's been driving you crazy; it's not all that great of a-"

She literally knocks the air out of him with how tight her lips fuse to his, and Mike finally turns enough to press Tina back against the refrigerator; one hand tangling through her hair while his lips break free and make their way down to suck on her pulse point.

"Bedroom. Now." She gasps out.  
>"What about the cake?"<br>"The birthday girl wants her _boyfriend now_ and cake later."  
>"No complaints here."<p>

**-**  
>Her 21st falls on a Tuesday, and while Kurt and Blaine will be coming down from New York and Puck and Quinn over from New Jersey to celebrate on the weekend, tonight it's just the two of them. Mike had banked on Tina wanting a quiet evening in eating cupcakes and watching bad movies and doing homework and saving the partying for the weekend, but instead they're sitting across from each other in the tiniest booth they could find in the local bar, Mike nursing a beer and Tina a pair of shot glasses.<p>

"I'm an adult now, Mike! All grown up."  
>"You've been all grown up for a while now, Tee," he grins at her suggestively.<br>"You are terrible, Mike Chang. Terrible and terribly attractive. It's unfair."

Tina's bottom lip juts out slightly as Mike laughs, thumb stroking the back of their intertwined hands; it's just one hand now, but this evening won't be the first time he's ever seen Tina drunk thanks to Puck and a handful of underage shenanigans, and it's really just a matter of time until she becomes increasingly touchy. It's cute, really, the way she craves contact but it can also be a bit frustrating for him, Mike pointedly trying to ignore the way her foot is currently inching up his calf.

"Another drink for the birthday girl?" the waitress grins as she pauses at their table.  
>"Tequila shot?"<br>"Wouldn't be a birthday without one. Be back in a minute."  
>"Another shot? Don't you want a drink?"<br>"No," Tina laughs, hair swaying with the shake of her head, "Puck said shots on your 21st is mandatory."  
>"And since when have you ever listened to <em>Puck<em>?"  
>"Since he's been 21 the longest and knows; and you had shots on your birthday!"<br>"Yeah," Mike nods as he takes another sip of his beer, "I also drank a lot of other stuff I don't really remember."  
>"Then I'll drink other stuff Saturday and shots tonight. Besides, it's tequila. And <em>love<em> tequila, Mike."

Tina barely waits until the waitress has left before she grabs Mike's hand, licking the junction between his thumb and pointer finger and liberally covering it with salt. And if Mike had an objection, which he sort of does because they're in public and last time they drank tequila like this it was very much in the privacy of their own apartment, it dies the moment Tina's lips hit his skin. Mike gasps a bit at the creamy skin Tina exposes as she tosses the shot back, hair highlighting the long line of her neck, lips curling around the lime seductively before she giggles; eyes bright and cheeks flushed with the buzz of alcohol.

"You're cute."  
>"Not as cute as you, miss drunk birthday girl."<br>"I'm not drunk," Tina protests for a moment before biting her bottom lip, "Maybe a bit. 'Cause it's my birthday."  
>"It is. And what else do you want to do on your birthday?" He grins.<br>"Can we go home and cuddle? You're cute and warm and you smell _really_ nice when we cuddle."

Mike's pretty sure drunk Tina is the most adorable thing he's ever seen. Not to mention she's far more interested in trying to coax what type of birthday cake she's getting out of him than arguing when Mike pulls out his credit card to pay for their tab.

**-**  
>When the morning sunlight floods into their room, Tina can hear Mike mumbling incoherently, his arms tightening around her torso for a moment before relaxing again. Her eyes shift to the clock; it's already eight thirty and if she wants her day's plan to go through they need to leave in half an hour.<p>

"Mike! _Mike_, wake up."

"Don't wanna."

"We have to catch the subway." Despite her urgent tone, she really isn't making much of an effort to get out of bed, especially because Mike's arms are way too warm to leave.

"For what?"

"I planned out a day in the city for us, remember?" If all went according to plan, they would grab brunch at Mike's favorite cafe, go down to the Community Theater to watch the latest new dance production, and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the bookstore they both loved. She rubs her hand against his leg. "C'mon, c'mon. We have to leave _now_."

"_Tee_," he mumbles into her hair, catching her hand and closing his fingers over her own, "Calm down. It's _Sunday morning_."

"But it's your birthday," she babbles, "We have to go, otherwise the whole schedule will be messed up and we only have a certain amount of time planned for brunch and-"

"Tina," he rubs her arm soothingly, fingers tickling her skin, "There is _no_ reason why you should be this stressed out on my birthday."

"I- I just want it to be perfect."

"Then how about this," Mike says softly, snaking his arm around her stomach. "We spend the whole day under these warm covers and only get up if we want food."

"Why would we spend the whole day under-"

Before she has a chance to finish her sentence, Mike's flipping her onto her back. A yelp escapes her lips as she lands against the pillow, and he plants his knees on either side of her, his lips crashing down on hers. He's got the slightest hint of morning breath, but he still tastes the same as always- sweet and familiar. Why he's this horny so early in the morning is completely beyond her, but she decides that she doesn't really mind all that much when he begins to trace his mouth down her earlobe toward her neck, hitting all of her most sensitive spots like the veteran he is.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Tina manages breathlessly as he begins to tug her pajama pants down, his fingers gliding down her legs.

"I'm sure that I would pick my girlfriend over a dance production for my birthday." He's already reattached his lips to hers and the way he's started to suck on her bottom lip tells Tina that maybe he's telling the truth.

"You ruined my plans for today," she pretends to whine, when really she has no issue with it, especially with the way he's massaging her breasts through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

He pulls back a little, his eyes widening. "W-wait, if you really want we can go see the production, we can. I- I just thought-"

The fact that he's suddenly doubting himself makes her want to laugh. "Mike, relax. It's _your_ birthday. We should do whatever _you_ want to do. Besides," Tina smirks as she reaches up to drag his collar so that his face is inches away from hers, "I have _no_ complaints about any of this."

She can see the confidence returning to his eyes as he grins, swooping down to kiss the curve of her neck before whispering in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Good. Because maybe _I_ have a lot planned out for us today..."

**-**  
>Tina ends up sleeping in later than he does, and Mike grins as he feels her arms slide around his bare torso; her fingers splay across his abs as he drops a handful of chocolate chips onto the half-cooked pancake.<p>

"You're up early."  
>"Maybe you're just lazy today."<br>"It's my birthday," she purrs, "I would have slept in even more but the bed was lonely without you."  
>"Mmmm, next time I won't have pancakes and coffee awaiting your highness."<p>

The light slap of her hand on his stomach is far noisier than it is dangerous, Mike turning enough to bend and press his lips lazily to Tina's. She's rumpled and a bit dishevelled but gorgeous on so many levels, cheeks pink and nose wrinkling when he pulls back.

"Her highness thinks there should be more kissing."  
>"Her highness is letting her coffee get cold."<p>

Sunday mornings are usually relaxed in their tiny apartment, or they are when they're both actually around and not panicking over exams or internships or rehearsals, but today is even more laid-back and Mike loves it. There's a cup of coffee at her place—a bit of milk and a heap of sugar already added because he knows exactly how she likes it—and it's corny but he jogged over to the farmer's market not too far away and picked up a couple lilies to put in a vase as well. As much as Mike knows Tina doesn't care about flowers and cards and that sort of stuff, he likes to give her that traditional romance every once in a while because there's something special about how she fingers the petals or painstakingly opens the card.

"Chocolate chip pancakes, your highness. I'll return momentarily with apple sauce."

She giggles, and yeah, he's laying it on a bit thick with the terrible British accent and bowing, but Mike'd do anything to make her happy, even if it means sacrificing a bit of his self-esteem in the process. It doesn't take him more than a couple seconds to locate Tina's favourite pancake condiment, although Mike has no clue how chocolate and apple sauce could even be remotely appealing.

"Will you be needin- Tina? What's wrong? _Tee_?"

He's sort of startled because unless she's PMSing, and Mike happens to know she's not, her mood swings aren't usually this sudden. He crouches down, apple sauce forgotten on the table's edge, pulling her chair out from the table and turning it enough so that Mike can almost face Tina; hands resting on her thighs.

"Tee, talk to me. What's wrong? What happened?"  
>"T-t-t-h-h-e c-a-a-a-rd!"<br>"The what?" his brow wrinkles.  
>"T-t-t-t-the c-a-a-rd!"<br>"I… I don't understand, love."

There are a lot of tissue boxes in their apartment and Mike leans back to grab one, gently dabbing at Tina's cheeks as she takes gasping deep breaths. He's had enough practice with Tina crying over the years to know he's just got to wait her out, reminding her to take deep breaths.

"The…. the card," she finally manages, eyes red and swollen.  
>"The card? The one I got you?"<p>

He grabs it from the table, eyes scanning the front momentarily before flipping to read the inside; Mike knows he's not the best with words but there doesn't seem to be anything _terrible_ in what he's written.

"I… I don't know what I did."  
>"It… it says <em>m-m-my wife<em>. Happy Birthday to my _wife_. I'm your _wife_."  
>"Yeah," he pauses, "You've been my wife for a while now, Tee. Five months, to be exact."<br>"But this is the first card you've gotten where it _says_ it. I… I know I am but anytime you've gotten me a card it's been for a girlfriend or your better half-"  
>"You're still my better half, for the record."<br>"But this actually says _wife_, Mike. You went to the wife section at Hallmark. It… it's special."  
>"So I didn't screw up?" he finally asks, trying to piece together Tina's logic because while he loves her, she's crazy.<br>"_No_!"  
>"Thank God."<p>

**-**  
>He dresses in the bathroom, and sort of the hallway, too because Tina's curled up in their bed fast asleep and Mike doesn't want to bother her. It's just a pair of jeans and a button-up, and a hat of course, but even pulling those out of their messy closet had made enough noise to partially wake her up, mumbling something about voting boxes and primaries. Sometimes Mike worries she works too hard.<p>

But he had at least been able to convince her to take the day off work because with the sort of temperature she woke up with in the morning, there was no way she was fit to get out of bed, let alone leave the apartment or work on polling statistics. Sure, Mike had gone to work and swung home at lunch to check her fever and try and get some toast into her, but he's well aware that the flu is just one of those things that has to run its course.

He's in the middle of shaving when he hears her, croaky and shuffling outside the bathroom, and he cuts himself in his haste to open the door.

"Hey! What's wrong?"  
>"I needa pee," she mumbles, eyes tiny slits and hair wild from hours of restless sleep.<br>"Course, babe."

She doesn't even correct him for the 'babe', simply takes occupancy of their only bathroom while Mike, still partially covered with shaving cream, heads into their bedroom. Even if there's not much he can do to help her feel better, he does fluff her pillows and straightens the tangled sheets until the bed looks somewhat more inviting. By the time he returns from the kitchen with a new can of ginger ale Tina's already settling herself back between the covers.

"Thanks."  
>"No problem, Tee. How are you feeling?"<br>"_Terrible_," she croaks, "I feel so bad I'm sick on your birthday."  
>"Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter. I'm more worried about you."<br>"You're still going out, right?" she yawns.  
>"Only if you don't need me here."<br>"Go have fun, please? It's your day…"  
>"Promise you'll call me if you need?"<br>"Mmmmhmm."

She's asleep again before he can say anything else, and Mike pauses at the doorway to their room. There's really not a lot he can do, but Tina's still burning up and he's just… conflicted. It doesn't take long to finish shaving but there's still twenty minutes until his buddies from the studio said they'd be here so Mike settles himself in front of the evening news to wait. Solomon, Tina's black cat, is lurking around and finally settles himself on the opposite end of the couch with a disdainful swish of his tail.

At first Mike's not entirely sure he's hearing it, focused on the news and keeping half an eye on Solomon because he really doesn't trust the cat anymore than Solomon trusts him, but the moment he mutes the television it's more than apparent what's going on. His cell phone is open and dialling before he's even off the couch, and the conversation is even shorter; no one gives him hell for being whipped, certainly not like Puck would even though he'd be doing the exact same thing for Quinn.

Mike doesn't bother knocking, just pushes the bathroom door open and sinks to the ground beside Tina, gathering her stringy hair back away from her face. It's not the most glamorous or exciting part of being married, but there's a certain relief in Tina's voice when she finally sits back against his chest that makes it so worth it.

"You're not going out, are you?"  
>"Not a chance."<br>"Thank you."

**-**  
>It's not the first time they've shut down a club, and it's highly unlikely this will be the last time either; the six of them, well, five if you discount Blaine because the poor boy still really can't dance, were the dancers in Glee and that's never really changed. Mike's watch is glowing ten to two am; he's sitting on a bar stool at the table they had claimed hours earlier when they arrived, empty glasses littering the space between the girls' forgotten purses.<p>

"Drink some more, Rach."

The petite brunette wobbles a bit on the stool and Mike tightens his grasp around her waist as he helps guide the straw to her lips. Blaine and Kurt had deposited her with Mike about forty minutes earlier and as the designated sober one he's been trying to get her to drink enough water so she won't be puking in the backseat of his car like she did once in high school.

"Miiiiiiikkkkeeee! Racheeeelllllll!"

Blaine's arm flops heavily down onto his shoulders and Mike jerks forward in an effort to keep Rachel's body upright on the stool from the force of Blaine's arm hitting her small frame; she sort of squeaks and tosses a haughty diva glare at the former Warbler but that's about all the fire Rachel's got left in her.

"Can you watch Rachel for a minute?"  
>"Sure!"<p>

It's likely not the best idea, given that Rachel seems about ready to pass out and Blaine begins talking a mile-a-minute to her, taking up the stool Mike just vacated, but it's really time they get going before the club's staff bodily throws them out. Kurt, thankfully, seems to have enough of his wits about him to understand what Mike's saying when he tells them to go get their coats and stuff, but Mercedes is so completely gone it's hilarious and he can't not chuckle at the pout that her lips create when Kurt patiently begins to explain that they have to stop dancing now.

"Do you know where Tina is?"  
>"Table."<p>

Mike follows Kurt's pointed finger to a group of booths not far from where they stand now and he wishes he could be surprised but Tina is _Tina_ and there's not much she does anymore that surprises him. The club has emptied enough that he's able to quickly make his way across the floor to where she is, although Mike imagines she had quite the adoring crowd earlier given that not only is his girl gorgeous, but she can dance like the best of them.

"Hey sexy!"  
>"It's time to go, Tee," he grins, holding his arms out towards her.<br>"But I want to stay and dance! It's my birthday!"

The lopsided party hat sitting askew of her pinned up black locks, courtesy of Rachel of course, makes that message pretty clear, as does the fact that Tina's likely twice as drunk as the rest of them thanks to the never-ending supply of drinks everyone had bought her over the course of the evening. Mike should have known that with that much alcohol in her system Tina would wind up on a table somewhere, but she looks so happy swaying above him to a pounding mash up of old Black Eyed Peas songs that Mike laughs and moves to lift her small form off the table himself; it's a benefit of having height on his side.

"I know, birthday girl. But they want to close the club so we need to go back to Kurt and Blaine's."

Her arm has slung itself around his neck and Mike swings Tina's legs onto his arms so he's carrying her back across the dance floor, shivering at the feel of her lace-clad fingers playing with the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Can we dance more when we get there?"  
>"If you still want to dance when we get to their apartment, sure."<br>"Okay," she grins and Mike laughs as Tina's head nestles into his chest, "best birthday ever, Mike."

She's asleep so fast Mike doesn't have a chance to tell her she says that every year.

**-**  
>Tina hasn't been in a hospital since <em>Quinn<em> was giving birth back in high school. She takes pride in the fact that she's never broken a bone or needed surgery or anything. But here she is now, sitting next to Mike's hospital bed, watching Top Chef on the TV that's mounted in the corner of the room, when Mike begins to stir.

"Morning, sunshine."

"It's... it's _morning_?" His squinting eyes and croaky voice make her laugh, despite the fact that his head is probably throbbing like crazy right now and her laughter is likely doing _nothing_ to help.

"Nooo... but you've been out for so long you might as well have been sleeping. It's only eleven p.m. - which means it's still your birthday." She dips down to kiss his forehead, which he wrinkles, eyes hazy with disorientation.

They've been clubbing before, but today had been different for two reasons. One, Mike's typically the one in control; last time they went out she had gotten a little too tipsy and he had brought her back to their apartment via piggyback ride. But today they had a little bit of a role reversal; Mike had completely lost it after shot number six- it had been quite obvious once he had collapsed on the dance floor without warning. And two, she found out that she was pregnant that very morning and even though she hasn't yet gotten around to telling Mike, she had kept her distance from alcohol the whole evening.

_Pregnant_. She still can't manage to wrap her mind around it; she had hurled her breakfast straight into the toilet for far too many mornings long, and four pregnancy tests later, Tina had called in sick and sat on the cold linoleum floor in the bathroom rocking back and forth, as if that would somehow magically conjure up a safe way of telling Mike the big news.

His soft voice snaps her back to reality. "Th-thanks, Tee. You seem... sober," he comments.

"I... I didn't drink."

"What? Why not? God, I can't believe I don't even _remember_."

She clamps her lips together for a moment, not knowing exactly how to tell him her news. _Their_ news. The whole reason why she hadn't mentioned anything to begin with is because Mike had insisted on going out to a club tonight in celebration of his birthday and she didn't want to ruin any of his fun.

Tina opens up her purse and gingerly pulls out one of the pregnancy tests that she had taken this morning. She had carefully wrapped it in some tissues and stuck it into her purse, feeling slightly ill at ease that a stick covered in her own _pee_ was going to be inside her bag. She hesitantly hands it over to him, and Mike takes it uncertainly, as if she's handing him a rocket launcher or something of the sort.

She watches as the tissues fall onto the hospital blanket as he turns the stick over in his hands. "Wh-what is this? Is this...? _T-Tina_?" His eyes grow huge as he looks back up at her. "Is... is it?"

She nods slowly, unsure if he's happy or scared or ready to run out of the room. "Sorry it's not exactly your typical birthday surprise, I-"

"-_Tina_." His eyes linger on the pregnancy test for another moment, his fingers twitching a little.

"What?" She bites her lip. She's legitimately scared that he's not okay with this. Sure, they've _talked_ about having kids before, but they've never really officially reached a decision and that frightens her a little. She's already done the math, and Tina vaguely remembers the night seven or maybe even eight weeks ago now, when they had come home from the opening night of Mike's latest dance production and spent the remainder of the night under the covers, not realizing that she'd be hesitantly handing over a positive pregnancy test on his birthday weeks later.

"Tee... You realize... that this is the _best_ birthday present I could _ever_ ask for?" And he's suddenly reaching over and enveloping her in his arms, his body warm and familiar. And even though never in a million years would she have imagined that she would be delivering the news about her first pregnancy in a hospital to a still somewhat drunk Mike, she can't help but note that it still feels perfect in every way possible.


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

**-**  
>"Mommy, now?"<p>

"Not yet, Carrie," Tina soothes, lifting her daughter up and maneuvering them toward their tiny kitchen where she's draped crepe paper and balloons around the walls. The decorations are a little bit mismatched and tacky, but honestly she's spent so much money on car seats and toys and god knows what else for Caroline lately that she couldn't really afford to go all out in their small apartment.

"Now?"

Tina chuckles. Caroline is stubbornly impatient by default, and even though it's tough handling her full-steam-ahead personality, she reminds Tina of herself so much sometimes that it pretty much tears her heart into little pieces.

Tina places Caroline in a chair, gently releasing her before walking swiftly over to the refrigerator where the small round cake that she had purchased earlier that day is waiting. She has the urge to fuss over it a little more, just to make sure the icing hasn't smudged or anything, but she suddenly hears the sound of the door opening.

"_Daddy_!" Caroline shrieks, stumbling to get out of her chair as her father ambles into the room, dropping the duffel bag he uses for his dance things on the floor.

"Hey- _oof_!" Mike grins as Caroline practically steamrollers him in an attempt to jump into his arms. It still astonishes Tina how coordinated Caroline is for her age. Mike is always insisting that it's a sign that she's on her way to becoming a dancer, but Tina just tries to keep her out of trouble. With her constantly moving pair of feet, Caroline has somehow managed to find her way into every nook and cranny in their apartment.

Mike scoops Caroline up in his arms before straightening up again, flashing Tina a smile and pecking her on the cheek. She raises her fingers to touch the spot on her cheek, able to feel the warmth that his lips had imparted.

"_Now_?" Caroline bounces a little in her father's arms, her excitement practically bubbling over.

"Now," Tina nods, making her way back to the refrigerator to retrieve the cake.

"Now what?"

Tina doesn't answer him, more focused on the cake that she's balancing in her hands as she starts to walk it over to the table. Mike's face breaks out in a huge smile, but Tina's much more excited for what's about to happen next.

As she places the cake down, she approaches Mike and Caroline, nodding to Carrie as she starts to sing.

_Happy birthday to you_...

Caroline joins in, just as they had rehearsed twenty-some times before this moment, her voice wavering a little but still breathtakingly sweet and childlike.

_Happy birthday to you...  
>Happy birthday dear Daddy...<br>Happy birthday to you_.

Mike lifts one arm and envelopes Tina with it so that he's got both of his girls in an embrace and Tina's never, ever seen Mike cry before, and she's pretty sure he isn't right now either, but the way his eyes have gotten glassy, his lips pressed firmly together, makes her think that it's the closest he's ever gotten.

**-**  
>"Mike, sweetheart, you <em>know<em> I love your surprises but I really just want to relax at home today."  
>"I know, Tee. I know."<br>"I'm sorry," her hand snakes over and rests on his thigh, "I'm being whiny again, aren't I?"  
>"A bit. But at eight months pregnant I think I can forgive you."<p>

She laughs softly and Mike removes one hand from the steering wheel to squeeze Tina's, eyes flickering to the rear view mirror where Caroline's quietly eating carrot sticks with a headphone in each ear and then over to Nate in his car seat, head tilted to one side and drooling slightly in his slumber.

"You're really not going to tell me where we're going, are you?"  
>"Nope."<p>

The noise of protest Tina makes normally makes Mike grin, but he's keeping his features as neutral as possible these days. He loves his wife, the two kids in the back and the other that's kicking her is proof of that, but her pregnancy hormones are scary and Mike's not really interested in Nate waking up to his mother shrieking at his father. He can feel the glare of her gaze on the side of his head, and Mike casts a quick glance at Tina; her crossed arms rest on the rounded swell of her stomach, long black braids just skimming the top of her stomach, and there's a tenseness in her posture that he knows is going to leave her back spasming later.

"Tina, babe, relax. I know you're not feeling so hot today, but please trust me?"  
>"I do trust you," she whispers, "I'm just… really uncomfortable. It feels like your child is dancing all over my ribs."<p>

The red light is welcome even though Mike knows they're on a tight schedule—it took longer than expected to pick Carrie up from dance—but Mike leans over to the passenger seat and presses his lips to the peak of Tina's stomach, mumbling against the fabric.

"Stop it, you. You're bugging your mother."  
>"<em>Mike<em>!"  
>"I'm serious, kiddo. Cut it out."<p>

He straightens when the car behind them honks and hits the gas pedal, relaxing a bit as a full smile plays on Tina's lips for the first time all day. It hasn't been an easy pregnancy for her, especially not with having two other kids that still require attention, but she's held up remarkably well until these last few weeks when Mike's been able to see the frustration and exhaustion begin to get the better of her positivity. He cuts the engine when they finally make it to the parking lot, Mike turning in his seat to watch Caroline toss her headphones, technically his headphones, onto the seat.

"Ready to go, Mommy?"  
>"Go where?"<br>"A whole afternoon of relaxing," Mike says, fingers snaking through hers again, "I know your parents are going to be here on your actual birthday so I thought you and Care-bear could get a massage today, have a pedicure… enjoy some girl time away from us boys?"  
>"Mike…"<br>"I know what you're going to say, and don't worry. They have some special polish and stuff that's safe for pregnant women, just in case. I asked."  
>"… I didn't really mean to yell at you about not being able to paint my own toes anymore…" Tina whimpers, tears rolling down her cheeks.<br>"I know, gorgeous. But this way you can still feel pretty, okay? Even if I think you don't need nail polish or anything, I want _you_ to feel good. You deserve it."

Mike holds out the box of tissues they always keep between the seats to Tina, whose cheeks are marked by the trails of tiny black mascara lines

"Ewww. Kissing!"

**-**  
>"I hate surprises." Mike pouts as they wait by the arrival gate which Tina finds absolutely hilarious, and she knows it's not just the surprise that's bothering him- it's the fact that she drove here, too. Mike and his typical need to assert his manliness or whatever it is.<p>

"No you don't," she counters, "You surprise me with things _all_ the time."

"Okay. I hate it when I don't _know_ the surprise. I don't get it- are we waiting for someone?"

When Detroit's deplaning is announced over the speakers and Tina takes a few steps forward, Mike's eyes narrow. "_Detroit_? Tina, what's going on?"

"Be patient."

The passengers on the flight begin to emerge from behind the doors one by one, and Tina waits, holding her breath and watching Mike's face because she _needs_ to see his reaction.

When Mike's face breaks into the most bewildered expression she's ever seen in her entire life, she knows he's here.

"_Matt_? What are you... how did you...?" Mike is totally spluttering at this point, and Tina grins triumphantly.

"Hey man!" Matt is as friendly and as cheerful as ever, giving Mike a big, genuine man hug after letting go of his luggage. He still looks the same, even though his laugh lines are etched a little deeper and his hairline has receded a bit, but he's still the same old Matt they've known since high school.

"_Damn_, I haven't seen you in _forever_. What are you doing in D.C.? Wait..."

As realization dawns on Mike's face, Tina can't help but giggle uncontrollably. "_You_ did this? _Tina_." Mike is staring at her with huge, _huge_ eyes and suddenly picking her up and spinning her around even though Matt and the remainder of US Airways' customers are all _right_ there.

Mike finally sets her down, kissing her hair fiercely before turning back to Matt. "How have you _been_?"

Tina totally gets Mike's friendship with Matt. The first time she _ever_ saw Mike, he was with Matt, and up until the point when Matt had transferred after their sophomore year, they had stuck by each other's side. As they make their way toward the exit, Mike and Matt chat like little schoolboys again. They're babbling on and on about each other's jobs, about the latest football game or something, and many other things Tina can't process because honestly, she's just overwhelmingly giddy over how excited Mike is.

She drives them back safely to their place despite the heavy snow, and she's _so_ thankful that their kids are spending the weekend at her parents' place, because honestly? She doesn't think she can handle three kids and two crazy old best friends who haven't seen each other in ages.

When Matt goes up to their guest room to freshen up and settle in, Mike turns to Tina with the most exuberant expression on his face and it seriously makes the whole effort to bring Matt here worth it.

"_Tina_. Tina, Tina, Tina you wonderful woman." Mike wraps his arms tightly around her and even though she kind of feels like she's getting suffocated, she loves it.

"I thought it might be kind of a nice birthday surprise to fly him out here today," Tina says happily as they break apart and he showers her with little individual kisses, each one more breathtaking than the last.

**-**  
>Tina doesn't like to make a big fuss out of things. Quite the opposite, actually. She likes to lay low and she likes to keep things simple. Things like graduation, anniversaries, and other flashy events? She's never been into the grandeur of those kinds of celebrations.<br>But... well, it's her _birthday_ today and Mike hasn't even mentioned it so far. She can't help but wonder if he's simply _forgotten_. After all, his dance company is putting on a huge show in less than two weeks and he's been stuck at their rehearsals for hours at a time. Today, he manages to arrive home well past eleven- long after she's tucked the kids in for bed.

Tina's sitting up against the headboard in their bed, thumbing through a magazine, when he enters, his collared shirt unbuttoned and tie loose around his neck. She has to admit it's kind of hot, but right now she's a little more preoccupied with the fact that her husband's head is so far up in the clouds that he's forgotten her one special day of the year.

"Hey," he greets her; the exhaustion that lies heavy in his words makes her forget about her little birthday gripe for a moment because she really just wants to lie him down and massage the fatigue away. She watches Mike shed his clothes, stripping down to his boxers, before sliding into bed next to her.

"Hi."

"How were the kids today?" He asks absently as she stows the magazine away, sinking underneath the covers with him.

"Rowdy. They decided today that they want to put on a recital for us this weekend, so they spent the whole day rehearsing and running around the house for props."

Mike wraps his arms around her so that she's snuggled up against his body, and even though she loves it when they fall asleep like this together, the alarm clock on the nightstand now reads 11:37 and there are officially only 23 minutes left in her birthday.

She has to say something. She just has to. Because even though she doesn't like to make a big deal out of things, the only proof that Tina has that it's _actually_ her birthday today and not just some figment of her imagination are the cards from her bank, her dentist, and the texts from a couple of her friends. Even her _kids_ haven't acknowledged it.

"Mike?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you... did you forget?"

She can feel his arms tensing up around her, "Forget what, Tee?"

"My... my birthday."

He's mumbling something incoherent into her hair.  
>"What?"<p>

He shifts uncomfortably behind her before sighing heavily. "Tee, how could you even _suggest_ that I forgot your birthday?"

"You...didn't say anything all day. What's going on?"

"I don't wanna say," his mumbles become slightly more coherent.

"Say... say what?"

He sighs reluctantly. "I asked my parents if they'd take the kids for the weekend."  
>"...What?"<p>

"So we can take a trip to New York. Just the two of us. For your birthday."

Tina's vaguely aware of the fact that she's blushing nearly from head to toe- her entire body feels like it's overheating. "R-really?"

"Yes, really," he pokes at her side. "You ruined the surprise, missy." He kisses her temple gently.

She's starting to feel more embarrassed than ever. To think that she was being selfish and needy and _doubting_ when this whole time, Mike's been planning a romantic getaway weekend for the two of them.

"And... and the kids?"

"Completely in on it."

Tina flips around to face him, drinking in his adorable, sleepy smile, and immediately takes his lips with her own, completely intoxicated by everything from the knowing twinkle in his eye to the fact that he's probably the best husband _ever_.

"But for the record?"

"Hmm?" Honestly, she has no idea how he can even muster up words right now; all she can think about is the taste of his lips...

"Happy birthday, beautiful."

**-**  
>Dinner is always chaos, but it's the sort of chaos Mike's gotten used to having with three kids, each with very different personalities. Sure, there's a part of him that remembers the quiet dinners they used to have where they could whisper and hear each other; where they actually got to eat their food without an interruption every five seconds, but there's a sense of normalcy about the organized chaos Mike comes home to every night. Normally he's home just in time to help Tina set the table and toss a salad or do whatever else she asks because it's really the least he can do when she's spent all day with three rowdy kids; tonight he's a bit startled that not only is everything ready but also what Tina's placing out smells distinctly like the best Korean dish he's ever tasted.<p>

"That smells delicious, Tee."  
>"I know it's your favourite," she grins, laughing as Mike nips at her ear as he passes.<br>"Did you do choreography today, Dad?"

They've fallen into a routine seating pattern at the kitchen table and Mike grins as Caroline, chopsticks in hand, instantly goes to her favourite topic. She's a splitting image of Tina, petite and curvy and soft features, but Mike still can't quite believe how much she eats, breathes and sleeps dance at such a young age. His attention is mostly on Caroline- Tina's across the table patiently trying to help Adriana with her chopsticks—but Mike's been a parent long enough to reach underneath the table seamlessly, nabbing the opened book out of Nate's hand.

"Dad!"  
>"No reading at the table," Mike responds in time with his wife, shooting Tina a smirk identical to the one he's receiving.<br>"Why do you guys have to say it at the same time? It's weird."  
>"Because your Dad and I know you, Nate," Tina laughs as she takes the chopsticks from Adria's hand and replaces them with a fork, "Besides, eat or there'll be no desert for you."<p>

Desert isn't exactly a common thing in their household and Mike's ears perk at the mention; it's not that they avoid it or anything, there's just enough hyperactivity in the house without loading the kids full of sugar every night a few hours before bed. Once in a while, sure, and on special occasions, but from the way all the kids, even Adria, have fallen silent Mike's got a feeling whatever Tina got is really good.

He can feel Tina's eyes on his head, Mike looking up and giving her a small smile because more and more he's picking up on something about tonight being out of the ordinary. Tina's head tilts to the side slightly, eyes narrowed, and Mike knows too well it's the look she gets when trying to figure out what he's thinking but not telling her. And while the kids are mostly silent aside from the sound of chopsticks and fork scraping along the side of their bowls, they've also been together long enough that lip-reading is a talent that's come in handy on more than one occasion.

"What?" Tina finally mouths, looking at him intently.  
>"Desert?" he points down the bowl, "This. Why?"<br>"You know why."

The roll of Tina's eyes is playful, like she thinks he's being foolish but Mike's really not sure what she's getting at, shaking his head slightly above the kids heads.

"No?"  
>"Seriously?"<p>

Her breath hitches and Mike can tell she's trying to hold back her laughter; there's something so incredibly dainty and alluring about the way Tina's hand comes up to cover her mouth, long curls falling around her face as she takes a few gasps of air. He feels like an idiot because there's obviously something he's forgetting and while he knows it's not an anniversary or one of the kids' birthdays or Tina's-

"Your birthday?" she mouths, shoulders shaking with restrained laughter.

The 'o' his mouth forms does it for Tina, laughter bursting from her small body and Mike joins her because who forgets their own _birthday_?

"Uhh….Mom? Dad? You guys okay?"

**-**  
>"How was the primary?"<p>

Mike's voice sounds crackly over Skype, no doubt due to the crappy Wi-Fi the hotel she's staying at is providing. But Tina can _see_ him quite clearly, and even though she's only been gone for a day, seeing him makes her miss him. A lot.

"Never mind that, I can tell you about it when I get home."

"Just tell me now," he urges cheerfully. "I wanna know." It still boggles Tina's mind that he's always so eager to hear about her career when he's never had a scrap of interest for politics. She's long since given up chatting with Mercedes over the phone about the latest news regarding her job, but Mike is always, _always_ curious.

"No."

"...No?"

Because there's something much more important to address right now. "Happy birthday," she beams into the camera. She still feels guilty out of her mind that her job had basically forced her to be present at today's primary during his birthday, and if it weren't completely out of her control when primaries fall, she would have been sitting at home with him and the kids, probably goofing off with a round of Charades or something.

"Thanks, love. I- what are you _doing_?"

Tina can be confident, sure, but even though she's been planning this since the moment she boarded her plane to Philly, it's still a little unnerving to be unbuttoning her shirt in front of a webcam. She glances down at her chest for a fraction of a second, and then lifts her lids so that she has a clear view of Mike, his eyes wide and jaw open.

"T-Tina?"

There's something about the way his voice cracks- the way he confirms the thought that maybe she has some sort of effect on him- that emboldens her. At this point, the sleeves of her blouse are cascading down her arms and revealing a lacy black bra; conveniently his absolute favorite. Biting down on her bottom lip, she gazes at Mike from behind her lashes and quirks an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"N-nothing."

Slowly tracing her tongue over the edge of her upper lip, Tina reaches behind to unclasp her bra, smirking a little when it falls to the floor and her breasts spill out. She can hear Mike making a small, strangled noise that's always been able to turn her on.

"I miss you," she does her best to purr the words, leaning close to the webcam as she takes one of her breasts in hand, kneading it between her fingers as Mike watches, clearly entranced because his eyes are practically crossing at this point, and she can see his nose inch toward the webcam.

"_God_, Tina... what are you doing?"

"Wishing you a happy birthday," her voice comes out a lot throatier than she had originally expected.

As she shimmies out of her skirt, Tina backs up a little so that she can see her whole body in their Skype window. Mike's eyes keep darting to his right, which should be where the door is, no doubt in constant fear that their kids will suddenly wake up and barge in. But it's already eleven-thirty and Tina knows that they've long since entered dreamland, and the chances of interruption are slim.

"You're _killing_ me, Tee."

"Really? How so?" Tina smiles coyly as she dips her fingers into her panties and, even though she's positive he can't see past the black fabric no matter how tiny the scrap of underwear is, she's fairly certain that he _knows_ what she's doing.

"_Tina_.." His voice is strangled, barely louder than a whisper.  
>"Hmm?"<p>

His eyes dart to the door again and it looks like he's practically grabbing the monitor of the desktop, his voice soft and urgent. "You are _such a tease_."

She grins, partly out of anticipation and partly out of pleasure. "Anything for the birthday boy."

**-**  
>Tina's glad they went to see a comedic movie instead of a horror one like they had originally planned. They're still giggling like little kids about it on their way back to their house. Mike pulls the car into the garage, his hand resting protectively on her thigh. As they stumble out of the car, he slings his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in for a quick kiss before his hand reaches for the doorknob.<p>

"Wait," he whispers, stopping abruptly. "Do you hear something?"

She does, actually. It's the faint sound of banging and clanging and god knows what else- and it's coming from inside. Which means either Caroline is not upholding her promise to keep the other two kids in line while she and Mike were at the movies or a tornado is currently terrorizing the inside of their home.

Mike swings the door open, only to find Nate scrambling past with a heavy-looking pot in his hands. "_Wait_, wait, don't come in yet!" he shrieks, clearly panicking.

"What are you three _doing_?" Tina stares as she stomps the snow off from her boots before slowly entering the dining room where Adria is putting out plates and Nate is running around, looking ridiculous in Tina's apron.

Caroline enters the room calmly- or at least, more calmly than their other two children- with a heaping plate of spaghetti in her arms. "We made you and dad dinner. Y'know. Since it's his birthday today."

Tina turns to look at Mike, who's gaping at the set table with wide eyes. It's clear that their kids have also successfully made a salad and what looks like a crock of soup. The napkins and utensils are set out neatly, no doubt Caroline's doing, since she's consistently obsessed with aesthetic value.

"Happy birthday, dad!" Adria grins, dashing up to her father to give him a hug. Her white t-shirt has a huge stain across the left shoulder and she's obviously also sweated up a storm because her hair is a tangled mess and her bangs are stuck to her forehead. Pressing her lips together to prevent herself from cracking up, Tina pulls Adria close and begins to patiently work out the knots in her hair with her fingers, glancing over at Mike, who's still gaping at their children.

"I- _thanks_," Mike manages. Caroline holds out her arms next and Mike takes her in, too. "Did you know about this?" He asks Tina.

"No! I didn't know they had it in them," she teases, ruffling Nate's hair as he walks by.

"Me neither," Nate rolls his eyes. "Adria spilled the ranch dressing _twice_ and I had to clean it up both times because Caroline was too busy making sure the table looked _pretty_." He says the word "pretty" with particular distaste.

Mike chuckles, giving Nate a quick fist bump. "You kids are _great_. Really. Thank you."

"We just wanted to do something for your birthday, dad." Caroline pipes up.

"Yeah! Happy birthday," the other two chorus, and Mike straightens up, looping his arm around Tina's waist.

Mike doesn't say anything for quite some time, a tiny smile on his lips. Tina elbows him, urging him to speak up because their kids are staring up at him expectantly, when he finally opens his mouth. "You guys are the _best_."

**-**  
>"I'm pretty sure I haven't been this relaxed since before we had kids."<p>

Tina's laugh carries along the sea breeze, head lazily rolling to stare at him from her reclined position on the sea-green chaise lounge. Mike can't make out her eyes beneath the oversized sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose, but he knows his wife well enough to imagine the way her eyes are crinkling in amusement as she takes a long sip from the daiquiri he offers.  
>"I don't think I've been this relaxed since before I met you."<br>"Hey!" he pouts, "what's that supposed to mean?"  
>"It means you've always had a tendency to keep me on my toes."<p>

This time he laughs, taking a sip of the cool strawberry beverage before placing it back down on the pale white sand surrounding them. It's too hot, it's really _way_ too hot, but Mike can't imagine sliding back over to his own lounge chair and leaving Tina to hers; sure, that means they're both a bit squished and a mess of intertwined legs but he's really not lying when he says he's relaxed.

The Dominican sun is a bit much, especially compared to the blizzard they left behind in Lima, but spending a week completely childless with Tina is more than worth being uncomfortably hot during the peak hours of the day. Especially when Mike factors in the boy shorts and bikini top Tina's been favouring thus far; three kids later and he still has to remind himself to wait until they're back in their suite.

"Do you think the kids are okay, though?"  
>"Yes love," his fingers run slowly through her hair.<br>"You're just as worried about them as me, Mike. They're our _babies_."  
>"The one most likely to burn down the house is safely in London. Nate's more responsible than I am and Adriana's in so many extracurriculars she doesn't have time to wreak havoc. The house will still be standing."<br>"When did you become the calm, rational parent?"  
>"When Caroline was born."<p>

He manages it with a straight face, only cracking up when Tina winds up and socks him in the arm, laughing as she contorts her face into a playful sneer that has Mike pulling her body closer to his. They're spooning now, in the middle of the resort beach, and he can't reach their daiquiri anymore, which Tina will no doubt have something to say about, but nuzzling his nose into her neck Mike feels completely content to just lie this way until their combined body heat makes him spontaneously burst into flames. It certainly wouldn't be the worst way to go. Tina's silent and Mike can feel the slow rise and fall of her body beneath his hands, fingers tracing playful patterns on her lightly tanned skin.

"I know I never told you this enough, but you're a fantastic mom, Tee."  
>"It's <em>your<em> birthday, Mike," she mumbles sleepily, "I think I'm the one who's supposed to be doling out compliments."  
>"Birthdays don't need compliments. Raising three kids and not divorcing me for passing on hyperactive genes deserves compliments."<br>"You _did_ pass along some rather hyperactive genes..."


End file.
